Crane.



J. A. SUESS.

CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED 10120.11, 1908.

Patented May 18, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

llllllll-llllllllill|Il|i By ATTORNEYS THE mmms Parana c0" WASHINGTON:1:. c

J. A. SUESS.

CRANE.

AIPLIOATION nun mm. 11, 1908.

922,20& Patented May 18, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTUR Jclcofifiueaa MW; I By ATTORNE 78 ms NORRIS PETERS00., WASHINGTON, n. c.

PETE.

JACOB ALBERT SUESS, OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA.

CRANE Application filed December 11, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Serial No. 466,975.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAcoB A. Swiss, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Shreveport, in the parish'of Caddo and State of Louisiana,have invented a new and Improved Crane, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to cranes, and particularly to the type used infactories and shops for moving heavy objects about the shop.

The object of the invention is to produce a crane of simple constructionwhich will op crate to raise the load to a considerable height, andwhich includes an auxiliary lifting device which can be releasedindependently of the main lifting device so as to enable the load todescend a short distance. In this way the convenience of the crane inraising and depositing objects in a shop or factory is greatly enhanced.The crane is especially useful in ice plants or ice factories forraising the cans andv for moving them to the dump, and from the dump tothe vaults.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial section showing a craneconstructed according to my invention; and Fig. 2 is a view similar toFig. 1, and showing a modified construction of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the parts and especially to Fig. 1; l, 1,represent the girders or track upon which the bridge 2 of the crane runsto and fro on suitable wheels 3 mounted at the ends of the bridge, thesaid wheels running upon flat bars or rails 4 laid on the girders, asshown. The bridge 2 is of box form, the lower side of the box forming atrack 5, and having a central slot through which the fall 6 of the cablehangs down wardly. This fall or loop 6 hangs down over a pair of sheaves7 which are mounted in a trolley 8, said trolley having Wheels 9 which.run upon the track 5, as shown. Beyond the trolley 8, one end of thecable 10 is attached to an anchor bolt 11 in the outer end of the crane.In the fall 6 a block 12 is hung, having a hook 13 for attachment to anyobjects or article which is to be raised or moved. On the upper side ofthe bridge 2, a main cylinder 14 is mounted in a hori zontal position.Nithin this cylinder a piston 15 is mounted, the rod 16 of which isprovided with a sheave block 17 and a sheave 18, as shown. The piston 15is adapted to be operated by compressed air or similar operating medium,admitted through a service pipe 19. This pipe 19 is connected with theinner end of the cylinder, that is, the end of the cylinder which isdisposed near the middle of the bridge. A three-way valve 20 is providedfor controlling the admission and exhaust of air from this cylinder. Inthe inner end of the bridge, that, is the left end as viewed in Fig. 1,a sheave 2-1 is mounted, and the cable 10 passes around this sheave 21and then around the sheave 18, as shown. The end 22 of the cable isattached to the piston rod 23 of an auxiliary piston 24 working in anauxiliary cylinder 25, which cylinder is mounted on the upper side ofthe bridge in a longitudinal position. The inner end of the auxiliarycylinder 25 receives air or a similar operating medium, through aservice pipe 26 which is provided with a three-Way valve 27, asindicated. From this arrangement it should be noted that the workingstrokes of the pistons 15 and 24 are opposite, that is, the forwardstroke of the piston 15 is toward the right, while the forward stroke ofthe piston 24 is toward the left. In these movements of the pistons theywill take up the cable. W hen air is admitted through the valves 20 and27 to both cylinders, the maximum amount of cable is taken up so thatthe block 12 moves to its highest possible position. When the crane isused in an ice factory, this is the movement which removes the can fromthe pit and raises it clear of the floor so that it can be moved to thedump. With both cylinders full of air, the crane and the load are thenmoved so as to bring the can over the point Where it is to be placed.The air is then released from the auxiliary cylinder 25. This pays outenough of the cable to deposit the can at the dump, withoutnecessitating the release of the air in the'main cylinder. If it isdesired to move a thawed can from the dump to the vault, the hook isthen ap' plied to this can and the auxiliary cylinder is refilled withair. This raises the thawed can clear of the floor so that it can becarried to the vault. Only when a can is to be lowered into the pit oranother can is to be removed from the pit, does it become necessary forthe air in the main cylinder 14 to be released. In this way all of theraising and lowering movements of the crane hook are brought about witha minimum air consumption, and a very desirable certainty and speed ofoperation.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, I provide a main cylinder28 which is mounted on the bridge 29 at the right, and on the end ofthis cylinder 28, an auxiliary cylinder 30 is provided, said cylindersbeing separated from each other by a common head 31. In the maincylinder 28 a piston 32 is mounted, the rod 33 whereof is provided witha block 34 and a sheave 35. In the end of the bridge 29 adjacent to thisblock, a sheave 36 is mounted. In this form of the invention both endsof the cable are fixed, one end 37 being fixed near the auxiliarycylinder 30 at the right end of the bridge, while the other end is fixedat 38 at the other end of the bridge. The cable passes in a loop aroundthe sheave 35, and in a loop around the sheave 36, the main run of thecable being arranged to hang with a fall 39 from a trolley 40. In theauxiliary cylinder 30 there is provided a piston 41, the rod 42 whereofpasses through the head 31 and projects slightly on the interior of thecylinder 28. Air may be admitted to the right-hand end of the auxiliarycylinder through a service pipe 43, said service pipe being providedwith a three-way valve 44, as shown. It will be observed that the end ofthe auxiliary cylinder 30 at which the air is admitted, is remote fromthe cylinder 28. At the remote end ofthe main cylinder 28, air may beadmitted through a service pipe 45, said pipe being provided with athree-way valve 46. In the operation of this form of the crane, the fulllifting movement is given to the cable by the action of the cylinder 28alone, air being admitted to the left end of the cylinder by the valve46. The full stroke of the piston is suflicient to raise the can clearof the pit. After the can has been moved to the dump, air is admitted totheiauxiliary cylinder 30. This moves the piston 41 toward the left andthe end of the rod 42 in this movement strikes the piston 32 and movesit back through. a distance equal to the stroke of the auxiliarycylinder. This backward movement of the main piston pays out sufficientcable to enable the can to come upon the floor so that the hook can bereleased. The manner of using this form of the crane is similar to thatdescribed in connection with the other form of the invention. The shortstroke which is sulficient to deposit or raise the load clear of thefloor being obtained by means of the auxiliary cylinder, though it isnot necessary to release the air of the main cylinder except when a canis to be placed in the it or pulled from the pit. Having thus escribedmy invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a crane, in combination, a main Cylinder having a relatively longstroke, an auxiliary cylinder having a relatively short stroke, liftingmechanism controlled by both of said cylinders, and means forindependently controllingadmission to said cylinders.

2. In a crane, in combination, a maincylinder having a relatively longstroke, an auxiliary cylinder having a relatively short stroke, a cable,means for taking upor paying out said cable through the medium of saidcylinders, and means for admitting air to said cylinders independently.F

3. In a crane, in combination, a main cylinder having a relatively longstroke, an auxiliary cylinder having a relatively short stroke, a cablehaving a block and fall, means for connecting said main cylinder withsaid cable to raise said block when an operating fluid is admitted tosaid main cylinder, means operated by said auxiliary cylinder to pay outsaid cable when an operating fiuid is 'admitted to said auxiliarycylinder, and means for admitting an operating fluid to said cylindersindependently.

4. In a crane, .in combination, a main cylinderhaving a relatively longstroke, a piston reciprocating in said main cylinder, a cable connectedwith said piston and having a block and fall, an auxiliary cylindercon-. nected with said cable, and means for independently admittingfluid .to said cylinders.

5. In a crane, in combination, a maincylinder'having a relatively longstroke, a piston reciprocating in said main cylinder, .an auxiliarycylinder having a relatively short stroke, an auxiliary pistonreciprocating in said auxiliary cylinder, a sheave on said main piston,a cable connected with said auxiliary cylinder, passing around said'sheave and. having a block and fall, and means for admitting air to saidauxiliary cylinder or to said main cylinder.

6. In a crane, in combination, a main cylinder, lifting mechanismactuated thereby, an auxiliary cylinder partially controlling saidlifting mechanism and affording means for lowering the load, and meansfor independently controlling the admission to said cylinders.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JACOB ALBERT sU ss.

Witnesses:

' ROBERT S. MANDE N. A. Anni/rs.

